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More people are taking up the hobby of beekeeping, worried about the death of these industrious
pollinators that are so essential to producing our food.

But you don't have to be a beekeeper to help our gentle, winged friends.

As you plan your summer garden, consider a few simple steps that will aid both the honeybee and
her kin, our generally overlooked native bees, which are also important in the ecosystem. (The
honeybee is not native to the United States; it was brought by European settlers.)

If you have a yard, a patio, or even a window box on an apartment, you can provide a comfortable
haven for bees.

The first step might be the most difficult.

Stop using pesticides. At a minimum, don't be so quick to reach for them.

Pesticides are easy and effective, but they are indiscriminate.

A pesticide will kill the good insects as well as the bad. For example, have you noticed fewer
lightning bugs in summer? They are the unintended victims of spraying to kill mosquitoes.

Honeybees flitting among the colorful blossoms of a garden will pick up the toxins intended to
kill aphids or Japanese beetles. The bees will also perish.

It's a poor host who throws a dinner party and then poisons his guests.

Seeing a few disruptive insects on a plant doesn't mean a problem exists. In a well-balanced
garden, other insects and birds will help polish off a population of troublemakers. Keeping a
garden pesticide-free creates an environment that allows nature to do its job.

You can also learn natural, nontoxic ways to control insects, such as using a spray of water to
dislodge aphids from stems. Or just let ladybugs do the work.

If you must employ a pesticide, use the least amount necessary, and choose the product most
targeted toward the problem insect.

The second step in making a bee-friendly garden is to plant flowers bees enjoy.

That's not challenging. Bees visit flowers for their nectar and their pollen. They are
especially fond of blue, purple and yellow flowers, but they aren't picky. In my garden, dogbane, a
weedy plant suitable only for wild areas, is always covered with honeybees, even though its flowers
are white.

Bees also go nuts for the blossoms of herbs such as basil, oregano, mint, rosemary and
thyme.

Welcome all the bees to your garden, not just honeybees. All the species are struggling. Our
tendency to cover bare earth with mulch is hurting ground-nesting bees, for example, limiting space
for their potential homes.

In general, honeybees and other bees are slow to anger. They won't bother you unless you provoke
them. Unless you are breaking into their home or trying to attack them, they are likely to leave
you alone.

Please don't confuse them with the foul-tempered yellow jacket, which is a wasp, not a bee.

Creating a garden friendly to bees has a side benefit: You'll be attracting birds, butterflies
and other lovelies as well.

Cindy Decker, Home & Garden editor, writes about native gardening and living with wildlife.
Reach her at 614-461-5027 or by e-mail.